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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. field — a subject
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kid — child
  9. lean — to bend
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. craft — a skill
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. field — for sport
  23. perch — the fish
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com